One of the largest current issues in the United States is the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Keystone XL pipeline is a system designed to carry up to 830,000 barrels of tar-sand oil a day from the oil sands in western Canada to the United States. Half of the system is already built, including a pipeline that runs from Alberta through North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. The major debate is if they should continue building a 1,179-mile addition to the pipeline. This pipeline should not be built because it will create temporary jobs, it would increase global warming, and it will damage our environment.
To start with, the keystone XL pipeline will create many temporary jobs. During the construction of the keystone XL pipeline there would be approximately …show more content…
According to an article written by Care2Care, greenhouse gas emissions from tar-sands development are two to three times higher than those from conventional oil and gas operations. That’s the wrong direction for reversing global warming. Scientists tell us we must reduce atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to 350 ppm (parts per million) or less. Today, it’s 391 ppm, and Keystone XL pipeline would certainly increase that. According to NRDC, the United States spends up to $13 million on foreign oil per hour and $200,000 every minute. The keystone XL pipeline would increase this even more. The Keystone XL pipeline should not be built because it will contribute to Global Warming and fulfill our addiction to fossil fuel. Extreme events such as, rising oceans, melting glaciers and dangerous weather events are caused by Global Warming. We have already seen these events and building the Keystone XL pipeline could only make it …show more content…
The Keystone XL pipeline will travel over the Ogallala aquifer which is a freshwater source for the United States. If the pipeline crosses through the Ogallala and makes contact with the water and leaks, it will pollute it and make it nearly impossible to fix. Also if TransCanada can find a way to make the Keystone XL pipeline unbreakable, money will always win. To make an unbreakable pipeline will cost billions of dollars. According to Energy Consumer Alliance the Keystone XL pipeline already costs $7.6 billion for their high-quality steel pipeline. Making an unbreakable pipeline would double or maybe even triple that. According to The Huffington Post within the past year and four months there have been 372 oil and gas pipeline leaks, spills and other incidents, leading to 20 deaths, 117 injuries and more than $256 million in damages. Since 1986 there have been 532 deaths, more than 2,400 injuries and more than $7.5 billion in damages. What makes the Keystone XL pipeline different is that it carries tar-sands oil, which is even worse. Tar-sand oil is nearly impossible to clean. According to the Huffington Post, there was a tar-sand oil spill in 2010 in the Kalamazoo River. This has yet to be cleaned up despite four years of effort. Another tar sands spill in 2013 fouled an entire neighborhood in Arkansas. Since 2010 the Keystone 1 pipeline has leaked 14 times including a spill of
To start with, the keystone XL pipeline will create many temporary jobs. During the construction of the keystone XL pipeline there would be approximately …show more content…
According to an article written by Care2Care, greenhouse gas emissions from tar-sands development are two to three times higher than those from conventional oil and gas operations. That’s the wrong direction for reversing global warming. Scientists tell us we must reduce atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to 350 ppm (parts per million) or less. Today, it’s 391 ppm, and Keystone XL pipeline would certainly increase that. According to NRDC, the United States spends up to $13 million on foreign oil per hour and $200,000 every minute. The keystone XL pipeline would increase this even more. The Keystone XL pipeline should not be built because it will contribute to Global Warming and fulfill our addiction to fossil fuel. Extreme events such as, rising oceans, melting glaciers and dangerous weather events are caused by Global Warming. We have already seen these events and building the Keystone XL pipeline could only make it …show more content…
The Keystone XL pipeline will travel over the Ogallala aquifer which is a freshwater source for the United States. If the pipeline crosses through the Ogallala and makes contact with the water and leaks, it will pollute it and make it nearly impossible to fix. Also if TransCanada can find a way to make the Keystone XL pipeline unbreakable, money will always win. To make an unbreakable pipeline will cost billions of dollars. According to Energy Consumer Alliance the Keystone XL pipeline already costs $7.6 billion for their high-quality steel pipeline. Making an unbreakable pipeline would double or maybe even triple that. According to The Huffington Post within the past year and four months there have been 372 oil and gas pipeline leaks, spills and other incidents, leading to 20 deaths, 117 injuries and more than $256 million in damages. Since 1986 there have been 532 deaths, more than 2,400 injuries and more than $7.5 billion in damages. What makes the Keystone XL pipeline different is that it carries tar-sands oil, which is even worse. Tar-sand oil is nearly impossible to clean. According to the Huffington Post, there was a tar-sand oil spill in 2010 in the Kalamazoo River. This has yet to be cleaned up despite four years of effort. Another tar sands spill in 2013 fouled an entire neighborhood in Arkansas. Since 2010 the Keystone 1 pipeline has leaked 14 times including a spill of